Releasing-hook mechanism.



L. H. & M. H. ROBINSON. RELEASING HOOK MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED use. 4.- 1911.

1,28LQ71 Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

TYNTTEED STATE PATENT @FFTQE LESLIE HAMPTON ROBINSON AND MARK HEATON ROBINSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RELEASING-HOOK MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LESLIE HAMPTON R0B- INSON and MARK HEATON ROBINSON, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Releasing Hook Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to mechanism for the simultaneous actuation of releasing hooks as used for the lowering and releasing of ships boats.

The invention is applicable to the foreand-aft connections between the releasing gears fitted one at each end of a boat, and the object of the invention is to provide a means of operating the said releasing gears, which is protected against accidental movement and which is further protected against accidental injury, and at the same time is very simple in action,

It should be understood that such boats, especially in the case of life-boats of passenger vessels, which are liable to be lowered with a large number of people in the boat, require to have the connection between the releasing gear disposed well away from liability to injury by or interference from persons in the boat.

' These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a View of the invention on a suspended boat, the side of the boat being removed to show the arrangement; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gear to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawing, A, A are the boat suspending hooks engaging with shackles on the lower blocks of the lowering falls, the hooks being actuated to release the boat by drawing down the draw bars D, D; the double suspension links B, B are pivotally connected to the keel of the boat at E, E, and carry the hooks A, A at their upper ends, also by pivot connections.

In the drawings the links B, B, are shown as kept in place by the end decking of the boat, but if necessary they can be kept in place by other equivalent means.

The operation of both hooks A, A is accomplished by a single control lever L pivoted on the aftermost bar Bat F, and connected both with the bar D, acting directly on the aftermost hook A, and at H with the Q, R occupy a corresponding position to the a lever L and forks G, K, 0, being connected at one end directly to the draw bar D and the link R, and at its other end to the link Q.

Tubes T, T extend from one end of the boat to the other, being fixed to any convenient part of the boat (preferably to the keelson) and chains S, S pass through the tubes and connect the two release mechanisms so that the draw bars D, D work in unison, the chain S connecting the fork G and the link Q, and the chain S the fork K and the link R.

Usually the release will be effected by the man in charge raising the lever L; the upward pull on the fork K is transmitted by the chain S so as to pull down the bar D and thus both hooks A, A are released from the suspending shackles simultaneously; a feature of the particular releasing hooks shown is that they cannot be withdrawn until the boat is water-borne, but they form no part of the present invention which is applicable to other forms of releasing hook than those shown.

The threaded bolts M, N with forked ends for connection to the chains are provided in order to adjust the length of the chains, and to take up wear, or slackness through stretching, or otherwise.

The chain S is provided for the purpose of resetting the hooks A, A in readiness for hooking on again; the lever L, after release, will be in the position shown by the dotted line L (Fig. 2), consequently, depressing it will cause a pull upward on the chain S and a corresponding pull downward on the link Q, the first pull tending to raise the bar D and the second to raise the bar D, both pulls therefore causing the hooks A, A to return to the reengaging position for receiving the block and fall shackles, or other raising tackle.

It should be understood that whatever movement is required to be imparted to the portions of the suspending gears which have to be moved for the purpose of release can be accomplished by the direct pull of the chain either in a vertical or in a horizontal direction, or intermediately, as the case may be. The portion of the chain in the straight may be constructed to conform with an irregular outline of the sides or bottom of the boat, and without introducing any complications on this account as might be necessary with a connection by bell cranks or the like, and that it is so simple as to be largely free from liability to get out of order,

We claim 1 1. Releasing hook mechanism for ships boats comprising a suspension member connected to the boat at each end thereof, hooks pivoted on each said member, hook operating gears connected with each said hook, a manual control member for the hook operating gear pivoted on the suspension member at one end of the boat, a corresponding control member for the hook operating gear pivoted on the suspension member at the other end of the boat, a rigid tube extending from the control member at one end to the control member at the other end of the boat, and a chain or cable passing through the said tube and connecting the control members, whereby a releasing movement of the manual control member at one end causes a corresponding releasing movement of the control member at the other end of the boat.

2. In connecting mechanism for the fore and aft releasing gears of ships boats, the combination with a double suspension bar having a hook pivoted thereon at either end of the boat, of a control lever pivoted within one such double suspension bar, an oscillating link pivoted within the other double suspension bar, the control lever and link being connected respectively to a hook operating gear at its particular end, a rigid tube extending from one end of the boat, at or near the control lever to the other end of the boat at or near the corresponding oscillating link of the further gear, and a chain or cable passing through the said tube and connecting the'said control lever and link, whereby movement of the control lever at one end causes corresponding movement of the link at the other end of the boat.

3. In connecting mechanism for the fore and aft releasing gears of ships boats, the combination with a double suspension bar having a hook pivoted thereon at'either end of the boat, of a control lever pivoted Within one such double suspension bar, an oscillating link pivoted within the otherdouble suspension bar, the control" lever and link being connected respectively to a hook operating gear at its particular end of the boat, a pair of rigid tubes extending from one end of the boat, at or near the control lever to the other end of the boat at or near the corresponding oscillating link of the further gear, and a pair of chains or cables passing one through each tube and connecting the control lever and link between points one on each side of the pivot point of the lever at one end to corresponding points on the link at the other end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

4. In connecting mechanism for the fore and aft releasing gears of ships boats, the T combination with suspension tackle having hooks pivoted thereon, of a control lever pivoted intermediately of its length at the after end of the boat and having a handle for actuating both gears, an oscillating link pivoted at the fore end of the boat and having a suitable point of the said link in con nection with the hook at the fore end and a suitable point of the said control lever in connection with the hook at the after end, a pair of tubes extending from near the control lever'at the after end to near the link at the forward end, a pair of connecting forks with means for adjusting their length attached to the control lever one on each I side of its pivot, and a pair of chains passing through the saidtubes and connecting the said forks one to each end of the opposite controllink, substantially as and for the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of la'tents,

Washington, D. 0. i 

